Today is Kansas Day! Kansas became the 34th state admitted to the Union January 29th, 1861, on the eve of the American Civil War. The state has produced some pretty amazing people over the years. Clyde Tombaugh, a Kansas farm boy, discovered Pluto. The inventor of the microchip, Jack Kilby, grew up in Great Bend and Charles Curtis, from Topeka served as Vice President.
George Washington Carver, famous for his work with peanuts is from Ottawa County; Gordon Parks, from Fort Scott, a famous photographer; William Allen White, from Emporia, a very prominent newspaper editor; Walter Chrysler for Chrysler motors, grew up in Wamego. Clyde Cessna of Rago and Walter and Olive Beech, were huge innovators in the aviation field. Otis McIntyre, from Gardner, invented styrofoam
and, what would the world be without basketball. James Naismith, inventor of basketball and the legendary Phog Allan.
